U.S. patent number 4,048,634 [Application Number 05/735,819] was granted by the patent office on 1977-09-13 for electronic keyboard display device.
Invention is credited to Daniel Laflamme.
United States Patent |
4,048,634 |
Laflamme |
September 13, 1977 |
Electronic keyboard display device
Abstract
A small lightweight electronic device to indicate the note of a
keyboard instrument represented by any musical interval in any key.
The device has a series of on-off switches representing each of the
desired musical keys and a series of switches representing the
individual values of musical intervals over a desired range,
preferably two octaves. The necessary circuitry is provided between
these switches and a keyboard display such that any particular note
represented by a musical interval of selected value in a selected
key is indicated on the keyboard display. Students and teachers of
music for keyboard instruments can, using this device, visualize
the location of notes or chords in any key and transpositions of
notes or chords from one key to another.
Inventors: |
Laflamme; Daniel (Verdun,
Quebec, CA) |
Family
ID: |
24957310 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/735,819 |
Filed: |
October 26, 1976 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
84/470R;
340/286.13; 84/478; 345/169 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09B
15/003 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G09B
15/00 (20060101); G09B 013/00 (); G09B
015/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;84/478,470 ;35/5,6
;340/365R,365C,311,324R,324M,337 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Curtis; Marshall M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kent; W. Charles
Claims
I claim as my invention:
1. An electronic device for visually illustrating the note of a
keyboard instrument represented by any musical interval in any
musical key comprising:
1. a series of manually operable on-off key selector switches, one
key selector switch associated with each desired key and each said
key selector switch being exclusively and not simultaneously
operable in the on position;
2. a series of manually operable on-off musical interval selector
switches, one interval selector switch being associated with the
value of each desired musical interval and each of said musical
interval selector switch being simultaneously operable with one or
more other said musical interval selector switches in the on
position;
3. display means electronically associated with said key and
musical interval selector switches, said display means consisting
of a representation of the notes of a keyboard instrument over a
particular range, each of the note representations having
independent electronically actuated indicator means associated with
it;
4. circuitry associated with said key selector switches, interval
selector switches and note indicator means to actuate the indicator
means corresponding to the note represented in a selected key by a
musical interval of selected value.
2. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein each interval
selector switch corresponds to a different musical interval over a
two octave range, and wherein each key selector switch corresponds
to a different key over an octave range, each of the musical
intervals and each of the keys over the respective ranges being
represented by a switch.
3. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said note
indicator means comprises illuminating means, one said illuminating
means being associated independently with each of the notes
represented on the display means.
4. An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said
circuitry comprises a first circuit network portion comprising a
plurality of circuit branches, one branch associated with each key
selector switch, each of said circuit branches extending to each of
said musical interval selector switches and being exclusively
actuated by its associated key selector switch; and a second
circuit network portion comprising a plurality of circuit branches,
each corresponding to a branch of said first circuit portion at
each of said musical interval selector switches and each branch of
said second circuit portion extending from each of said musical
interval selector switches to said note indicator means, said first
and second portions of said circuit network arranged so that an
appropriate note indicator means is actuated for a selected key
upon selection of a musical interval of particular value.
5. An electronic device according to claim 4, wherein said musical
interval selector switch comprises a push-pull switch having a
plurality of pairs of contacts, one pair for each pair of
cooperating branches of said first and second circuit portions at
said musical interval selector switches.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electronic device for identifying
notes of a keyboard instrument. More particularly, the invention
relates to an electronic device which will indicate the note or
notes of a keyboard instrument represented by a particular musical
interval or intervals in a particular key, and permit easy
transposition of the notes represented by such musical intervals
from one key to another.
It is understood, from musical theory, that, in a given key of the
chromatic musical series, each note has a "value" or "musical
interval". For example, in the key of C, the note E has a value or
musical interval which is a "major third", while the note G is a
"fifth" and the note B is a "major seventh". The note D sharp
appearing in the octave above that of the root position of C, in
the key of C, is an "augmented ninth", and so forth. Chording in a
particular key, accomplished by combinations of notes having
particular musical intervals, and the sound and nature of various
chords which may be achieved by such combinations, are essential
elements in the teaching or study of music, as is the location of
particular notes or musical intervals in a given key.
Heretofore, aids for the teaching or study of music have been
mainly restricted to mechanical or chart devices such as described
in Canadian Pat. No. 710,999 of A. J. Weis, issued June 8, 1965,
which describes a type of apparatus which fits behind the keys of a
keyboard to identify chords in a particular key, and Canadian Pat.
No. 773,425 of Gaillard, issued Dec. 12, 1967, which provides a
mechanical apparatus for identifying piano keys with particular
tonalities.
In Canadian Pat. No. 831,713 of Schmoier, et al., issued Jan. 13,
1970, a visual keyboard teaching device is described which provides
a visual indication, directly on a keyboard instrument, of the
comparion manual and clavial keys to be associated to a sound chord
triad, and accompanying bass note. Such a device however is
relatively sophisticated and expensive to manufacture, requiring
association with a real or mock keyboard including keys. Because of
its expense and complexity, such a device would not have
availability generally for students and teachers of music.
In my co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 683,860, an economical
lightweight electronic device, similar to a pocket calculator, is
described which permits identification of chords and notes and
chord positions in a particular key using a series of switches
representing keys and notes, and associated circuit network, and a
display area where a characteristic visual response is provided for
each note in a given key. By showing, through the characteristic
visual response, the "value" of a particular note in a given key,
the operator can readily transpose that note into another key to
see what value it would then have. This device, however, does not
assist the teacher or student of music in visualizing on a keyboard
instrument the location of the notes having the values in
question.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a small
lightweight electronic device, to be used in music teaching and the
like, which permits identification of the position of notes and
chords of particular musical intervals (i.e. values), in a
particular key, and which enables transposition of and location of
such musical intervals readily from one key to another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an electronic device is
provided for visually illustrating the note of a keyboard
instrument represented by any musical interval in any musical key.
The device comprises a series of manually operable on-off key
selector switches, one key selector switch associated with each
desired key and each key selector switch being exclusively and not
simultaneously operable in the "on" position. A series of manually
operable on-off musical interval switches is also provided, one
interval selector being associated with the value of each desired
musical interval and each musical interval selector switch being
simultaneously operable with one or more other musical interval
selector switches in the on position.
The device has display means electronically associated with the key
and musical interval selector switches. The display means consists
of a representation of the notes of a keyboard instrument over a
particular range, each of the note representations having
independent electronically actuated indicator means associated
therewith. Circuitry is provided associating the key selector
switches, interval selector switches and note indicator means so
that the indicator means is actuated corresponding to the note
represented in a selected key by a musical interval of selected
values. It is preferred that each of the fourteen keys of the
chromatic musical series be represented by a key selector switch,
and that each of the standard musical intervals over a two octave
range by similarly represented by a musical interval selector
switch.
As will be explained in more detail subsequently, the device
according to the present invention provides an inexpensive, simple
and effective tool for teaching music on a keyboard instrument. For
example, it gives a student, who has been taught that the root -
third - fifth positions are the root position of a major chord in
the key of C, by operating the relevant switches on the device, the
precise position of this chord in the key of C, for instance
through illumination on the display means. By merely changing the
key, by pressing another key selector switch, the position of this
chord on the keyboard for that new key is immediately indicated.
Professional musicians, music arrangers, composers and the like,
will also benefit greatly from this device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon
referring to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of an
electronic keyboard display device according to the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is an example of a circuit diagram of a circuit network
which may be used in a device according to FIG. 1.
Similar features have been given similar reference numerals in the
drawings.
While the invention will be described in connection with an example
embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit
the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended
to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents may be
included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by
the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Turning first to FIG. 1, there is shown an electronic display
device 2 having frame 4, key selector switches 6, musical interval
selector switches 8 and a read-out display means 10. Appropriate
key and musical interval notations appear respectively on the key
selector switches 6 and musical interval selector switches 8. Of
the 12 key selector switches, one switch is provided for each of
the 12 keys (or enharmonic values thereof) of the chromatic series.
A musical interval selector switch for each standard musical
interval over a two octave range of this series is provided in the
preferred embodiment so that notes, chords or chord inversions
which might extend over more than one octave may be
represented.
The musical interval and key selector switches are push-in --
push-out switches remaining in pushed in or depressed position
after being actuated so that the key or musical interval selected
can be readily identified. With this end in mind, the switches can
of course alternatively be light-emitting switches, toggle
switches, etc. If a light-emitting switch is used, the switch does
not stay in a depressed position but instead a light comes on
inside the switch to identify the switch which is actuated.
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the keys over an octave
range is represented by a key selector switch: C,
C.sup..music-sharp. (or D.sup..music-flat.), D, D.sup..music-sharp.
(or E.sup..music-flat.), E, F, F.sup..music-sharp. (or
G.sup..music-flat.), G, G.sup..music-sharp. (or
A.sup..music-flat.), A, A.sup..music-sharp. (or B.sup..music-flat.)
and B. In addition, the following musical intervals and their
representative notations are represented by musical interval
selector switches 8:
third -- 3
diminished third -- 3.sup..music-flat.
suspended fourth -- 4
diminished fifth -- 5.sup..music-flat.
fifth -- 5
augmented fifth -- 5
sixth -- 6
major seventh --.DELTA.7
seventh -- 7
diminished ninth -- 9.sup..music-flat.
ninth -- 9
augmented ninth -- 9.sup..music-sharp.
eleventh -- 11
augmented eleventh -- 11.sup..music-sharp.
thirteenth -- 13
Display means 10 as shown consists of a representation of notes 14
of a keyboard instrument over a two octave range. Each of the notes
has independently associated with it illumination means 16, e.g. a
light bulb, which, when on, illuminates that particular note and no
other. The device may have as its power source 18 for example, a 9
volt battery actuated by a main on-off switch 12. Circuitry, a
preferred but by no means exclusive example of which is illustrated
in FIG. 2, is associated with main switch 12, power source 18,
illumination means 16, key selector switches 6 and musical interval
selector switches 8 so that when a particular key is selected by
pushing the corresponding key selector switch, and a particular
musical interval is selected by pushing the appropriate musical
interval selector switch 8, the proper illumination means 16 is
actuated to indicate on the keyboard representation 14 the
particular keyboard note which is represented by that musical
interval in that particular key. As can be seen from the circuitry
of FIG. 2, when a particular key is selected by pushing a
particular key selector switch, the note on the keyboard
represented by the root position in that key is illuminated.
The two octave range of display means 10, and associated circuitry
as illustrated, is ideally suited for an economical, marketable
device. It will be noted from FIGS. 1 and 2 that interval selector
switches corresponding to diminished ninth up to thirteeth are
shaded. This shading is to indicate to the person who is using the
device that the note illuminated by a particular musical interval
selected from this group, in a particular key, will be one octave
lower than it would normally appear on a keyboard instrument. Of
course, a more expensive model might be provided having display
means 10 covering a representation of notes over a three or four
octave range of a keyboard instrument, and have associated
therewith appropriate circuitry and switches so that such
re-arranging of the note represented by any particular musical
interval will not be necessary. Again, with appropriate additional
circuitry of a nature similar to that shown in FIG. 2, whatever
further musical interval selector switches thought necessary, such
as that representing an eighth, might be added within the spirit of
the present invention.
It will be noted again in FIGS. 1 and 2, that the musical interval
selector representing a fifth is also shaded for the device in
question. A student using such device will be instructed that by
pressing both the key selector switch and the shaded fifth musical
interval selector switch, a base pattern for the left hand, to
accompany the arrangement played with the right hand, with the
appropriate transposition of the note represented by the shaded
fifth selector one or two octaves lower, can be determined. Thus, a
student using the device might be instructed to first determine the
notes to be played with the left hand, i.e. by selecting the key
and the shaded fifth switches. The relevant notes would be then
illuminated to provide an appropriate left hand bass pattern. Then
by selecting the rest of the musical intervals for a particular
chord, the position of that chord to be played by the right hand
will be shown on the display means to the student.
As previously mentioned, each key selector switch 6 is, with
respect to the other key selector switches, exclusively and not
simultaneously operable in the on position. On the other hand, the
musical interval selector switches 8 are simultaneously operable
with one or more other musical interval switches in the on
position. In this way, at any one particular time, the device will
give information about the location of one or more musical
intervals (e.g. the location of a chord) in any one particular key.
By selecting a different key selector switch for the same musical
interval or chord, the location of that chord is shown for that new
key. In other words, for one or more musical intervals selected by
the appropriate interval selector switches, the notes represented
thereby on the keyboard in any particular key may be immediately
determined by actuation of the corresponding key selector switch,
thus permitting rapid transposition of musical intervals (notes or
chords) from one key to another. The value of this operation for
instructing and learning musical theory and chording in one key or
another on a keyboard instrument will be immediately apparent. Once
a student understands the structure of a chord and the fact that
all notes have musical intervals or values which vary, depending
upon the key in which a note is intended to be played, the device
according to the present invention provides a visual diagram of the
location on a keyboard instrument of musical intervals representing
a particular chord in a particular key. By transposing the chord
selected from one key to another using the key selector switches, a
student using the device will not only see the location of the
chords, but also learn their relevance and formulation.
Using technology already available in miniature pocketsize
calculators, such as printed circuitry, the device according to the
present invention may be economically and readily constructed and
marketed at a cost while would be reasonable even for an individual
studying music.
Thus it is apparent that there has been provided in accordance with
the present invention an electronic display device that fully
satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While
the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific
embodiment thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,
modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in
the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is
intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications and variations
that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *